Danish Energy Agency Grants Operation Permit
15 июля 2011 г.
The Danish Energy Agency granted Nord Stream permission to operate the first of its twin pipelines that will transport natural gas from Russia to Europe. The application to operate Line 1 was submitted in March – exactly two years after Nord Stream applied for permission for the construction of the Nord Stream project.
The operations permit was granted by the Danish Energy Agency as Nord Stream fulfilled all the requirements and commitments stated in the construction permit, which was granted in October 2009 by the same agency. Nord Stream also initiated a comprehensive environmental monitoring programme to ensure that the pipeline has no lasting impacts on the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea.
Reporting to Authorities
The operations permit is based on the documentation submitted by Nord Stream, such as detailed plans which will guarantee the safe operation and maintenance of the natural gas pipeline. The Danish Energy Agency states that Nord Stream is responsible for emergency response planning as well as communicating with the responsible authorities. Nord Stream must also maintain an operational organisation which has sufficient resources and competencies in order to secure the safe operation of its pipeline. Furthermore, the company must also continuously submit reports on the status of the operations of its pipeline.
"We are pleased to receive the operations permit from the Danish Energy Agency. Thanks to a smooth cooperation with the Danish authorities, Nord Stream today has taken a step further in securing safe gas deliveries to Europe – including Denmark," says Nicklas Andersson, Head of Permitting for Denmark and Sweden.
The delivery of gas through Line 1 will begin in the last quarter of 2011. By the end of 2012 both lines will be fully operational. The twin pipelines are each 1,224 kilometres long and run along the bed of the Baltic Sea from Vyborg, Russia, to Lubmin, Germany. Combined, they have the capacity to 55 billion cubic meters of gas annually.
